Top 10 Best Short Walks

For fantastic views without too much exertion, try one of these gentle walks along the Great West Way… 

Bath Skyline   
World Heritage Site Bath is a beautiful city whichever way you look at it, but it’s especially captivating from above. This 6-mile circular is easily accessed from the city centre. As you climb up Bathwick Hill and away from the chatter of life below you’ll immerse yourself in the noises of the natural world. Robins twittering away in the tree canopy, crispy leaves and crackling branches underfoot. Depending on the season, you might also pass through wildflower meadows and fields of grazing cows or sheep. The National Trust website has more information about the Bath Skyline walk, including a shorter 3-mile route. Top tip: get another perspective on the city from the rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa. 

Cheddar Gorge Cliff-Top 
A short meander from the Great West Way, Cheddar Gorge offers plenty of exhilarating walking trails - but none more immediately exciting than this dramatic 3-mile walk. You’ll need a head for heights - it’s 900ft above sea level - but the views over the Mendips are well worth the wobbly legs. And it’s not just the landscape out to impress. The gorge is a dedicated conservation area home to an abundance of rare plants and wildlife - see if you can spot the Cheddar Pink, which isn’t found anywhere else in the world. 

Roundway Down 
This easy 5-mile stroll from Devizes to Roundway Down sticks mostly to canal towpaths and country lanes, but be prepared for a steep climb. Starting in the market town of Devizes, your first glimpse of the hill will be the Millennium White Horse on the side of it. When you reach the top of Roundway Hill you’ll be rewarded with remarkable views, but spare a moment to reflect on the history of Roundway Down. An enormous battle took place there in 1643, which the Royalists won - their biggest victory in the English Civil War. See here for details of the trail. 

Secrets of Stonehenge 
This 3-mile National Trust walk is a satisfying way to experience the neolithic Stonehenge landscape. Begin at any point on the circular route and you’ll be guided past various intriguing ancient treasures including prehistoric monuments, Bronze Age burial mounds (called barrows) and Stonehenge itself. There’s also a handy information centre along the way to help answer all the many questions you are likely to have (although to this day, no one can say for sure how or why the stones got there). See here for a route map.  

Marlborough White Horse Loop 
Wiltshire is well-known for its series of white chalk hill horses. There are lots of great walks to help you explore them all, but the Marlborough White Horse Loop offers a nice 4-mile introduction. As one of the more hidden horses, situated on a shallow slope, it’s advisable to take a map. It’s thought this one was created by a local boys’ school in 1804, possibly to mark the 600th anniversary of the town’s charter granted by King John (it’s very near where his castle once stood). Like many of the curious chalk horses, its shape has changed over time. This circular walk begins and ends in the High Street, with excellent view of Merlin’s Mound (Marlborough’s own version of Silbury Hill) and Marlborough itself. 

London Thames Path 
There are many lovely stretches of the Thames Path, each offering quiet reflection away from the city - and all pleasingly flat. Start with a relaxed 4.8 mile walk from Hampton Court Station to Teddington Lock. Immediately you’ll take in the grandeur of Hampton Court Palace, which King Henry VIII swiped from Cardinal Wolsey and expanded to make it the ultimate monument to his vast wealth and power. Follow the river along until you come to Teddington Lock, where you can enjoy a coffee as boats bob by or - if energy allows - continue on to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. 

Over and under Clifton Suspension Bridge 
Clifton Suspension Bridge is one of Bristol’s most iconic attractions. Its Victorian engineer however, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, didn’t live to see it finished (you can find out more about him at the Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre, and the new Being Brunel museum on Bristol Harbourside). Generations of visitors have been wowed by the views of the muddy Avon Gorge from the bridge. This circular walk takes you from such heady heights, through woodland, to less familiar views of the bridge from the footpath beneath. It should take about 1 hour. 

Kennet and Avon Canal Towpath 
This towpath tracks 87 miles, from Reading all the way to the Bristol Channel. But thanks to its easy terrain it's perfect for short walks too. Pack a picnic and see how far you get. Some excellent starting points include Dundas Aqueduct, a Scheduled Ancient Monument that miraculously transports the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon. Caen Hill, which boasts the longest continuous flight of locks in England. And Bathampton, an adorable village that’s the vision of pastoral charm. Look out for swans, herons and - if you’re lucky - the turquoise iridescence of a passing kingfisher.

Westonbirt Treetop Walkway 
There’s no better way to experience the beauty of the national arboretum than right up in the tree canopy alongside the birds. Just a short detour from the Great West Way, Westonbirt’s 300-metre-long treetop walkway offers a sensory experience year-round. From the bright blossoms of spring to the red and gold flutter of autumn. Even better, the walkway is accessible to all - it has no steps and only gradually rises in height.  

Watlington Hill 
This 1.5 mile waymarked walk around Watlington Hill, via ancient yew tree woodland, delivers exceptional views of The Chilterns. The chalk grassland is also a haven for nature, with 25 species of butterflies, including dreamy sky-coloured chalkhill blues, attracted to wild bouquets of white candytuft and purple Chiltern gentian - one of the rarest wildflowers in the UK. Look up to see buzzards and red kites gliding gracefully overhead. You’ll also notice the Watlington White Mark - a large chalk triangle thought to have been cut into the hillside in the 18th century. 

For more ideas of things to do on your Great West Way journey, visit our See & Do and Explore pages.